More, pleshchet more,
Serebrom i zhemchugom sverkayut grebni voln.
Gore moyo gore
Ekhom v brezhnyh skalah povtoryaet
Vetra ston.
Staryj korabelshchik
Snaryazhal korabl – ekhal za more kupec.
Serebro i zhemchug
Zapiral v tyazhyolyj, mednokovanyj larec.
Vot i podnyat yakor,
I s molboyu k duhu vod vzyvayut moryaki,
I brosayut za bort
Perstni i monety, raznocvetnye platki.
V dan zabiraet more
Samoe dorogoe,
Beri, voda,
CHto otdam...
Prosit korabelshchik
Soblyusti obychaj, no hozyain otvechal:
«Mne nuzhnee zhemchug,
CHem volnam bezdushnym, chto byutsya o prichal»
I ne zhdali gorya,
No vzieyarilas burej bezdna voln na tretyu noch.
CHyornoj volnoyu
Smylo za bort chado – to byla kupcova doch.
V dan zabiraet more
Samoe dorogoe,
ZHemchuzhina vsekh dorozhe
Otnyata sudboj – morskoj vodoj
Cyrillic version: «Жемчужина».
Translation
Blue sea, splashes blue sea,
Crest of waves are sparkling like gold, silver and pearl.
Sorrow, my deep sorrow
Echoes by the groaning wind around this
Cliffy shores.
Captain, old and tired,
He equipped the ship - the merchant travelled overseas.
Into copper casket, heavy and impervious
He locked pearls and jewelries.
Lastly raised the anchor,
To the water spirit send the sailors their appeals
Throwing overboard coins,
Golden rings and diamonds - Offerings to mighty seas.
Sea will collect it's tribute,
Things which so dear to you
Take, what I gave!
Swirling wave!
Asked the old sea captain
To maintain the custom, but the owner then replied:
"I need silver more, than
Soulless waves that beat and splash against the mooring line"
Noone waited troubles...
Suddenly on third night tempest grasped the merchant ship.
Waves were crashing 'round and
Caught the merchant's daughter, swept away to blackened sea.
Sea will collect it's tribute,
Things which so dear to you.
My precious child, my pearl
Was taken away by sullen fate.
